In general, men are driven by intellect and women by affections, and because of this men in the Bible generally represent knowledge and truth and women generally represent love and the desire for good. This generally carries over into marriage, where the man's growing knowledge and understanding and the woman's desire to be good and useful are a powerful combination. In many cases in the Bible, then, "husband" refers to things of truth and understanding, much as "man" does. Magnificent things can happen in a true marriage, though, when both partners are looking to the Lord. If a husband opens his heart to his wife, it's as though she can implant her loves inside him, transforming his intellectual urges into a love of growing wise. She in turn can grow in her love of that blooming wisdom, and use it for joy in their married life and in their caring for children and others in their life. Many couples, even in heaven, stay in that state -- called "Spiritual" -- growing deeper and deeper to eternity. There is the potential, though, for the couple to be transformed: through the nurturing love of his wife the husband can pass from a love of growing wise to an actual love of wisdom itself, and the wife can be transformed from the love of her husband's wisdom into the wisdom of that love -- the actual expression of the love of the Lord they have built together. In that state -- called "Celestial" -- the husband represents love and the desire for good, and the wife represents truth and knowledge.

18. VI. FROM THIS NEW HEAVEN THE LORD JEHOVIH DERIVES AND PRODUCES A NEW CHURCH ON EARTH, WHICH TAKES PLACE BY MEANS OF A REVELATION OF TRUTHS FROM HIS MOUTH, OR FROM HIS WORD, AND BY INSPIRATION. It is written that John:

"Saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, descending from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband". (Rev. 21:2).

By the holy city, New Jerusalem, is meant the doctrine of the New Church, consequently the Church as to doctrine; and by Jerusalem descending from God out of the new heaven, is meant that the true doctrine of the Church is from no other source. That the doctrine descended, is because a Church is a Church from doctrine and according to it; apart from doctrine, a Church is no more a Church than a man is a man without members, viscera and organs, thus from the mere covering of skin, which only defines his external shape; nor any more than a house is a house without bed-chambers, dining-rooms and articles of use within, thus from the wall and arched roof alone. The case is similar with the Church apart from doctrine. That Jerusalem signifies the Church with respect to doctrine, may be seen proved from the Word in the work itself, THE TRUE CHRISTIAN RELIGION (n. 782). From these things, it is manifest that the Church on earth is derived and produced by the Lord by means of the angelic heaven.